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Welcome to Prinknash Abbey
Prinknash Abbey is home to a Benedictine contemplative
community of monks at St Peter’s Grange which is nestled in the
rolling hills of the Gloucestershire countryside with panoramic
views over the city of Gloucester and beyond.
Stepping onto the monastic estate of Prinknash Park is to take
time out from our busy lives into a quieter place and pace of life,
with time to stop and look at ourselves and the world around us
through a different lens, to contemplate the beauty of nature and
pray for our troubled world. We are invited into the loving,
caring embrace of mercy that we find in Jesus and Mary and
which draws us into the merciful love of the Father, a love which
has to be shared.
The main work of the abbey is prayer for the world, and the heart
of the monastic community is the Abbey chapel where the monks
pray the divine office at regular intervals throughout the day,
every day. The Abbey chapel is open to visitors and its entrance
has been designated a “holy door of mercy” and will be a special
threshold of grace for the Jubilee Year of Mercy so that all who
enter to reflect and pray will invite special graces into their lives
and for all those people they pray for and bring with them in their
hearts and prayers.
The chapel is decorated with paintings of the Stations of the Cross
and an image of Divine Mercy specially painted for the Jubilee
year by Fr Stephen Horton of Prinknash Abbey. There is a small
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area in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Prinknash. The
chapel is approached via a tree-lined path and by passing through
a small wooden gate on the right just before the entrance gate to
the abbey. There is a grotto to Our Lady nearby set back slightly
from the path in a small woodland glade which is beautifully
decorated with roses and votive candles. It is a peaceful place to
absorb the peace and tranquillity of Prinknash in the presence of
the image of the Mother of God.
Regular special days of prayer for mercy for the whole world are
held at the Abbey and are open to all. These are generally held in
the chapel and at the grotto. The monastic community have also
embraced the year of mercy by using the meeting room at the
abbey’s café and shop for Jubilee Year faith-based activities.
These include a variety of opportunities to explore, enrich and
discuss the faith, to deepen our knowledge and understanding of
the bible, to share fellowship and broaden our reading. Visitors to
Prinknash can spend quality time in the beautiful surroundings of
the monastic estate. There are refreshments available in the café,
and the shop is a valued resource for books, cards, gifts and
religious items.
All the information for the year is detailed in the booklet for the
Year of Mercy at the Abbey chapel and from the café, or it can be
downloaded from the abbey’s website –www.prinknashabbey.org
A warm welcome is extended to all visitors who wish to share in
celebrating this Jubilee year of Mercy with us.
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The Jubilee Year of Mercy
From a burning desire for people to experience the mercy of God,
Pope Francis initiated the Jubilee Year which will run from 8th
December 2015 till 27th November 2016. Jubilee Years usually
occur on important anniversaries; the last one was in 2000.
Establishing one now indicates that it is the Holy Father’s
conviction that the world needs to rediscover mercy. He connects
it with the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Designated a “Holy Door of Mercy,” Prinknash Abbey’s chapel is
one of a handful in the Roman Catholic diocese of Clifton where
special Jubilee Year of Mercy graces may be obtained by all who
come to pray and enter the abbey’s chapel across this threshold.
Participation in the Jubilee Year includes thoughts, prayers,
words and actions of mercy in our relations with other people
along with, if possible, visits to designated chapels and churches
with the intention of seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness in a
spirit of contrition. Both these ways will enable us to obtain
special graces called the Jubilee Indulgence. The sick, elderly,
house-bound and others such as prisoners can also obtain the
Jubilee graces. We recommend that you speak to your parish
priests or deacons or look up the diocesan website for information
about the graces available during the Jubilee Year and the means
of obtaining them.
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Services and
Timetable at the
Abbey Chapel
(Monday 6am Vigils, then as follows):
WEEKDAYS
SUNDAYS
AND MOST SOLEMNITIES
Lauds
6.30am
6,30am
Mass
c.7am
8.15am and 10.30am
Terce
9.15am
9.15am
Sext
12.30pm
12.30pm
None
2.35pm
4.50pm
Vespers
6pm
6pm
Vigils
(Compline)
8.10pm
8.10pm
(On Solemnities that are not Sundays, Vigils replaces
Compline)
All are welcome
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Solemnities in 2016 with Mass at 10.30am
Friday 1stJanuary
Mary, Mother of God
Wednesday 6th January
Epiphany of the Lord
Saturday 5th March
St Aelred
Monday 4th April
Annunciation of the Lord
(transferred from 25th
March)
Saturday 23rd April
St George
Thursday 5th May
Ascension of the Lord
Wednesday 29th June
Ss Peter and Paul
Monday 11th July
St Benedict, Patron of Europe
Monday 15th August
Assumption of BVM
Tuesday 1st November
All Saints
Thursday 8th December
Immaculate Conception
All are welcome
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Divine Mercy Prayer days
These days of prayer and
praise of God through
devotion to the Divine
Mercy and the Immaculate
Heart
of
Mary
are
motivated by the love of God
and the desire to pray for
the needs of the world.
Please note that the Days of
Prayer occasionally start in the meeting room
adjacent to the Abbey café and shop and then
continue, after a break for lunch, in the Abbey
Chapel or the Grotto close to the Abbey.
All are welcome
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Divine Mercy Prayer Days
2016 Dates and times
Fri Jan 1st 10.30am 12pm
Mass, Rosary and Chaplet in abbey chapel.
Fri Feb
19th
12pm 3pm
At The Cross With Mary:
Stations of the Cross, Midday Prayer, Mass,
Rosary, Adoration and Chaplet in abbey
chapel and Grotto
Sat Mar
12th
11am 12pm
Talk on the Passion in the meeting room
Sun Apr
3rd
Fri May
13th
2pm – 4pm Divine Mercy Sunday:
Divine Mercy devotions including Gospel Reading,
homily, Veneration of the Divine Mercy image,
chaplet and other devotions
in the abbey chapel.
OPPORTUNITY FOR CONFESSIONS
12pm –
At The Cross With Mary:
3pm
(Programme as Feb 19th above)
Fri June
3rd
12pm –
3pm
At The Cross With Mary:
(Programme as Feb 19th above)
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Sat June
4th
11am –
3pm
Sat July
16th
11am –
3pm
Mon Aug
15th
10.30am –
12pm
Mass in abbey chapel, Rosary and Chaplet in Grotto
Thurs
Sept 8th
10.30am –
12pm
Mass, Rosary and Chaplet in the Grotto
Fri Oct 7th 12pm –
3pm
Day of Prayer and Reparation to the Immaculate
Heart and the Divine Mercy for the whole world.
11am Talk in the meeting room. Break for lunch.
1pm Mass in the abbey chapel, rosary, adoration
and afternoon prayer. 2.45pm Chaplet in the Grotto
Day of Prayer and Reparation to the Immaculate
Heart and the Divine Mercy for the whole world.
(Programme as for June 4th above)
At The Cross With Mary:
(Programme as Feb 19th above)
Sat Nov
12th
3pm – 4pm Rosary and Chaplet in the abbey chapel
Sat
10thDec
11am –
3pm
Day of Prayer and Reparation to the Immaculate
Heart and the Divine Mercy for the whole world.
(Programme as for June 4th above)
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Exploring Faith
This Saturday Group meets once a month from
2pm-4pm
in
the
meeting
room
adjacent to the Abbey
café and shop. It is led
by
Fr
Martin
McLaughlin and Dr
Sarah Richards and is
open to anyone who is
interested in exploring
aspects of the Catholic
Faith
through
discussion and using
art, music, scripture,
poetry and prayer.
Each meeting is an opportunity to explore aspects of
faith and it is not necessary or expected that
participants attend every session.
All are welcome
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Exploring Faith
The Exploring Faith meetings are always on a Saturday
once a month from 2pm to 4pm in the meeting room
adjacent to the abbey café and shop. All are welcome to
any or all of the meetings
2016 Dates
9th Jan :
The Holy Trinity and the Year of Mercy
6th Feb:
Angels and Demons: Looking at Good and Evil
19th March:
From Birth to Death: “The seven ages of man”
9th April:
The Family and Catholic Life
7th May:
Healing and the Wound of Sin
11th June:
Discerning God’s Will for me
2nd July:
Exploring the Bible
6th August:
Jesus of Nazareth: What do we know about him?
3rd Sept:
Our Lady and Her Message for the World
1st October:
Salvation: Exploring its Meaning
5th Nov:
Is There Hope for the World?
3rd Dec :
Exploring the Meaning of Christmas
All are welcome
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The Bible in a year
This Saturday Group meets once a month from
11am – 12.30pm, the same
day as the Exploring Faith
group, in the meeting room
adjacent to the abbey café
and shop In this group Fr
Martin
McLaughlin
encourages you to read the
bible in a year and share in
the monthly Talks and
discussion
which
will
explain, over the course of a
year, the entire bible from
beginning to end, focusing on the history behind the
books of the bible, how they came to be written,
what they originally meant and how the Catholic
Church interprets them today. The Talks are to
encourage people to read the bible in the course of a
year.
It is not necessary or expected that
participants attend every session.
All are welcome
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Bible in a Year
The Bible in a Year meetings are always on a Saturday
once a month from 11am to 12.30pm in the meeting room
adjacent to the abbey café and shop. All are welcome to
any or all of the Talks
2016 Dates
9th January:
Introduction to the Bible
6th February:
Genesis to Deuteronomy
19th March:
Joshua, Judges & Ruth
9th April:
1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings
7th May:
1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther
11th June:
Job, and the Psalms
2nd July:
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & the Song of Songs
6th August:
The Prophets
3rd Sept:
The Deuterocanonical Books
1st Oct:
The Gospels and Acts
5th Nov:
The N T Letters
3rd Dec:
The Book of Revelation
All are welcome
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Prinknash Bookclub
The Prinknash Bookclub group reads and discusses
faith-related
or
inspirational books
The meetings take
place usually once a
month in the meeting
room adjacent to the
Abbey Café and shop
at 10.30am till 12noon.
The format of the meetings is gathering at the
meeting room for 10.30am. One of the group gives a
presentation of a book that he or she has read. This
is followed by discussion. The Bookclub dates are
agreed for the whole year usually at the December
meeting and the names of the people who are willing
and able to present a book are agreed. The whole
group may agree to read certain books in
preparation for the meeting, perhaps two books in
the year. All are welcome to any or all of the
meetings.
All are welcome
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Book Club Dates
Wed. Jan 13th
Fr Martin McLaughlin on the Book of
Revelation
Thurs Feb 18th
Zita Drummond (Book to be advised)
Mon. Mar 14th
Mike Harriss on Sacred Music in
Secular Society by Jonathan Arnold
Wed. Apr 13th
Sue Thomson (Book to be advised)
Tues. May 17th
Book club outing
Wed. June 15th
Sarah Richards (Book to be advised)
Thurs. July 21st
Book club outing
Wed. Aug 17th
Stephen Day (Book to be advised)
Fri. Sept 16th
Anne Harriss on Fr Elijah Stories by
Michael O’Brien
Thurs. Oct 13th
Fr Stephen on the artist John Sell Cotman
Tues. Nov 15th
Fr Mark Hargreaves on The Secret of
Glaston Tor by Donal Foley
Tues. Dec 6th
Bula Brazil (Book to be advised)
All are welcome
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7 things to know about Prinknash Abbey
1 -
Prinknash Abbey is
home,
since 1928, to a Roman
Catholic
Religious
community of Benedictine
monks
2 - The main work of the monks is prayer.
People can visit the chapel for
quiet time and prayer.
The monks, following the
Rule of St Benedict, formally
pray together seven times a
day
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3 – The monks earn their living in various ways.
Their work includes, along with
household chores and activities on
the
estate,
hospitality
through guest facilities, talks
and retreats, the production
of incense, rosaries and art,
and the Abbey shop and café.
4 - The abbey’s shop and café.
The Café is an excellent facility with friendly,
dedicated staff who work in
close association with the
monks. It is well known for
home-baked cakes, snacks,
light meals, coffee and a
relaxed
and
peaceful
atmosphere
The
Abbey
shop
(within the café) is a
resource for Catholic
and Christian gifts,
books,
cards
and
monastic products
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5 - Meeting Room
The meeting room at the shop and café is used by
groups connected with the abbey and local Catholic
and Anglican parishes. It is also
used by social services, voluntary
service and business groups. It
has capacity for 50 people. For
how to hire it, see contact details
at back of this leaflet.
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Circular Walled Garden
In association with the Abbey the old and
unique monastery walled garden is being
restored by the not-for-profit company
REACH
which
helps
long-term
unemployed, the socially deprived and other marginalised
people gain work experience and acquire new skills
7 - The Grotto of Our Lady
The Grotto of Our Lady is situated in the
wood just off the main drive about fifty yards
from the abbey. It is a lovely spot for
spending periods of quiet time and prayer,
absorbing the peace of Prinknash.
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Things to do at Prinknash
Visit the Chapel when the monks are praying or
celebrating Mass
Visit the Abbey Chapel and Grotto for peace
and quiet prayer
Enjoy the beautiful surroundings. (The monks
do not charge for parking)
Enjoy refreshments and home-cooked food in
the Abbey Café
Purchase gifts, cards and books with a religious,
Christian and Benedictine connection in the
Abbey Shop
Book the Meeting Room for your own group
Attend the various prayer days, talks and day
retreats led by the monks.
Visit the circular walled garden (free of charge).
Contact details
Abbey
Tel 01452 812455
Shop, café & Meeting Room Tel 01452 812066
For
more
details
visit
our
website
www.prinknashabbey.org
Business enquiries
01452 813838.
" please note that Prinknash Abbey is not connected
in any way to the local bird park."
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